Enemies of reform

Wednesday

Jul 28, 2010 at 2:00 AM

It would be hard to find three politicians who are more plain-spoken and direct than Ed Koch, Rudy Giuliani and Mario Cuomo. Each man had his supporters and detractors, but none of the New York City-bred trio was ever known for mincing words, either from the mayor's office in New York City, for Koch and Giuliani, or the Governor's Mansion in Albany for Cuomo. They knew doubletalk when they heard it, so when their nonpartisan grass-roots group challenged state legislators to come clean on reform, the challenge went beyond the for-it or against-it approach.

It would be hard to find three politicians who are more plain-spoken and direct than Ed Koch, Rudy Giuliani and Mario Cuomo. Each man had his supporters and detractors, but none of the New York City-bred trio was ever known for mincing words, either from the mayor's office in New York City, for Koch and Giuliani, or the Governor's Mansion in Albany for Cuomo. They knew doubletalk when they heard it, so when their nonpartisan grass-roots group challenged state legislators to come clean on reform, the challenge went beyond the for-it or against-it approach.

The group, New York Uprising, spelled out three reform proposals vital to changing the way New York is governed and promised to let voters know how legislators responded. Sign on to the reform plan before last Friday and you were a reform "hero." Fail to pledge to work for the changes and you were an "enemy" of reform. And names would be taken and published.

Well, the pledges are in and the lists are posted, and at the top of the enemies list are the Democratic leaders of both legislative houses. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader John Sampson, both of whom speak constantly of reform, refused to sign the pledge. Worse, they pointed at the Republican Senate minority, all of whom signed on, as a reason of sorts for ignoring the Uprising pledge. Democratic leaders argued that the GOP has had years to work for reform when it had a majority in the Senate, but did nothing, so Republicans signing the pledge now is disingenuous.

Of course it is. The Republican Senate minority gets no points for courage or character here. But Republicans signed, which means they are publicly committed to work for the changes or to have their names repeatedly used in public as enemies of reform as Koch continues his campaign. Koch will not be shy about this — and, remember, this is an election year.

But really, why should past Republican behavior keep Silver, Sampson and a host of other Democrats who followed their lead from agreeing to do what they have repeatedly said needs to be done? That's just more of the old Albany game whereby members of one party call for reform and blame the other for opposing it, and then they change sides when the numbers change and the power shifts in their legislative houses. In truth, Silver has never pushed for the kind of reform needed in Albany.

2. Budgeting, calling for a balanced budget by 2014 and an independent office to oversee it.

3. Ethics, calling for full disclosure by politicians and public officials of outside income and clients.

Without these reforms, nothing significant will change in Albany. For the record, all local legislative members except Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, D-Kingston, signed the pledge. As a frequent proponent of reform, Cahill now has to explain how he winds up on this enemies list.

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The full list of heroes and enemies is available at www.nyuprising.org.